Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor
by Anonymius
Summary: Sequel to 'Philosopher's Stone With A Difference'. Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts this year, but he's not the only one. An infamous serial killer known as the Blood Traitor is back, declaring war on all the Slytherin students.
1. Birthday Surprise

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Commentator: Hello all! I am the Commentator! You may remember me from such fanfiction as 'Harry Potter Abridged (With Commentary)', and 'Naruto Abridged (With-er Commentary)'! But I'm here to be serious at the moment. Well, a bit more serious than usual. I am here to introduce you the sequel to Anonymius' fanfic 'Philosopher's Stone With A Difference,' 'Harry Potter and The Blood Traitor', set during the events of 'Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets'!

Professor: It's a bit convenient, don't you think, how you're able to participate in something that's not parody related when Anonymius is currently encased in a genetically engineered strangling plant?

**MMPH! MMPH! MMMMMMMPH!**

Commentator: I assure you that's just a happy coincidence! Now then, without further ado, here's the first chapter, 'Birthday Surprise'!

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Harry Potter's twelfth birthday was perhaps the best birthday he ever had. Not that his previous birthdays had been bad. On the contrary, all of them as far as he could remember were pretty good. What made today the best, however was that Harry felt that he had more friends this year than before. It wasn't that he never got along with anyone invited; it was just that he didn't really know them, and he was sure none of them really knew him either. They were just happy to be at the birthday party of the famous Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. The only people he felt glad to be at these gatherings were his family, the Hogwarts game keeper Hagrid, and his best fried Ron Weasley.

This year, however, he had gained new friends, namely Hermione Granger and Darren Eago, however Darren's parents wouldn't allow him to come but he had still been able to send a card and present. Others today included Harry's Quidditch team. He also felt that he had gotten to know the people that had been invited every year, such as Seamus Finnegan and Parvati Patil, a lot better than in the past ten years. Other Muggleborn first years such as Dean Thomas and Hannah Abbott had also been invited.

His mum appeared happier towards him than she had been for the past few weeks. Harry still remembered when he had returned home from Hogwarts that his family wanted to know everything about what happened with the Philosopher's Stone. And so Harry told them, about how it seemed that Professor Loki tried to kill him during the first Quidditch match, how they thought that he must have been after the Philsopher's Stone, how none of the teachers believed them, and about how they took it upon themselves to stop what they thought was Loki and Eago after the stone. How they went down into the chambers, got through the trials, with Harry eventually facing Quirrell (Who turned out to be the traitor) and Eago, how they stopped them from getting the stone, how Dumbledore stunned Quirrell, and how Eago fled in spectrel form (His siblings screamed when he told them about the man-faced bird).

After finishing his tale, his dad, unsurprisingly, laughed.

"That was incredible Harry-" He began to say, before getting a stern look from Harry's mum, "Um, I mean, that was very bad of you, Harry, very irresponsible."

What? Harry had become used to being treated like a hero at school for doing what he did. To come back to be told off for stopping a dark wizard from returning to power…

"What? How was what we did wrong?"

"HOW WAS IT WRONG?" His mum roared, standing up. Harry would have stood back if it was possible, if he wasn't sitting down in the chair. He had never seen his mum so furious, her bright green eyes, the same eyes he had, which were usually serene and tranquil that could become fiery had never looked so inferno-like.

"WHAT'S WRONG IS THAT YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, HARRY! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? Didn't you care, what would have happened if you had died, how that would have affected us?"

At this point, his mum started crying, her face becoming red. This was worse than her most furious temper. She later became angry again, "AND TO DRAG YOUR FRIENDS INTO IT AS WELL!"

"I didn't drag them into it!" Harry countered, standing up, "I tried to convince them not to come with me, but they wouldn't listen!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK BACK TO ME!"

But Harry stood his ground. Usually when his mother was this angry, he would cave in. But not this time. He would give his case and not back down, not when he thought he didn't do anything wrong. His mother continued.

"You should have left it to the teachers instead of going into danger yourselves-"

"I told you, they wouldn't listen!"

"McGonagall didn't listen to you. Hagrid wouldn't listen to you, but you could have gone to any other teacher."

"We thought that if McGonagall didn't believe us, then none of the other teachers would," Harry said.

"You didn't even try!" Harry's mum snapped.

"Even if we did, we didn't think the teachers would believe us against a teacher!"

His mum appeared stumped. But she quickly recomposed herself.

"And did you really think that a first year would have made any difference against a Hogwarts teacher and the most terrible dark wizard who ever lived?" His mum demanded.

"I thought that I might as well had tried!"

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Harry! You would have been killed if it wasn't for Dumbledore!"

"Dumbledore said that it's thank to us that Eago didn't get the stone!"

"From what Dumbledore told us, they wouldn't have even been able to get the stone out of the mirror if you didn't go down there in the first place."

Harry was stumped. Come to think of it, if he hadn't gone down there, Quirrell would have remained stuck on the mirror. He would have never been able to get the stone out. Was it really all for nothing?

His mother's face softened.

"Harry, Harry," she said softly, bending down and grabbing his hands, "I understand that you just wanted to help, and I appreciate that, but you're too young. You can fight dark wizards as much as you like when you're seventeen, but for now just concentrate on your school work. Please Harry," Her face had become serious. She squeezed his hands tightly, "Swear to me that you won't go looking for trouble again. Not until you are old enough."

Harry looked straight at his mother's worried face. Initially he did not want to swear anything. He still did not think he did anything wrong. However, he did not want to upset his mum. And it wasn't likely that something like this will happen again.

"All right Mum. I swear."

His mum smiled.

"Thank you, Harry."

She hugged him.

At the party, Harry's mum seemed somewhat cold towards Hagrid, although both unsurprisingly claimed that nothing was wrong. Harry's dad, however, was a bit more open.

"Don't tell your mother I've told you this," He told Harry, "But she's upset with the Hogwarts staff over what happened with the Philosopher's Stone. After telling you off, the next day we went to see the staff. She was furious with McGonagall for not listening to the four of you, she was angry with Hagrid for letting Quirrell and Eago know how to get past the first obstacle, she was angry with Dumbledore for having a rogue teacher right under his nose and she was generally angry with the whole staff for making the protections too easy. I don't think I've ever seen McGonagall so vulnerable! See, your mum does love you Harry. She wants to protect you, that's why she was so angry about you going down there and the staff for being 'incompetent'. I mean she was willing to sacrifice her own life to save you from Eago."

Harry's dad expression fell. From the looks of it, you could tell that he just told Harry something he was not supposed to say. It was almost an identical expression found on Hagrid when he said something he wasn't supposed to say.

"What do you mean by 'She tried to sacrifice herself to save me'?" This was the first time Harry had ever heard this.

"Nothing," Harry's dad grinned, "I was joking. Forget what I said."

But it didn't sound like he was joking.

"That didn't sound like-"

"Look, Harry, drop it, okay?" His dad said sternly. He was rarely ever stern, which was probably why he was so scary when he was. He was perhaps worst than Mum, Harry thought, Or Professor McGonagall. At least he was used to them being angry with him.

"Don't tell your mother what I said, okay?"

Harry nodded.

Despite this Harry had still enjoyed his birthday, and was in an optimistic mood when he went to bed, hoping to end the day on a high note.

Unfortunately, however, his bed was already occupied.

Standing on top of it was a small, greenish looking wide eye House-Elf. The elf was looking at him.

"Harry Potter!" it piped, disapparating from the bed and reapparating right in front of Harry, shaking his hand, "It is such an honour to finally meet you!"

"Er, likewise," Harry answered, "Um, who are you again?"

"Oh," the house-elf disapparated from Harry and apparated back to the bed, "How rude of Sammie! My name is-oh, Sammie's already told you it, haven't I?"

Sammie the House-Elf giggled.

"So, um, what are you doing here?"

Sammie's face had become serious.

"Oh I have come to warn Harry Potter about a plot! A vile, terrible plot to make bad things happen at Hogwarts!"

"What? A plot by whom?"

Instead of answering, Sammie just shook his head.

"No, no, Sammie cannot say! Sammie has come to tell Harry Potter not to go to Hogwarts, for Sammie admires him so!"

Not go to Hogwarts? Well, Harry didn't feel particularly strong about that either way. Except that Hogwarts was the only way to see his friend Darren. At that moment there was a CRACK and Addie appeared.

"Master Harry, Addie heard noise coming from your room, is everything all-"

He stopped the moment he saw Sammie. Addie's eyes widened.

"SAMMIE?"

"HARRY POTTER MUST NOT GO TO HOGWARTS!"

And with that, Sammie vanished. Soon the rest of Harry's family entered his room.

"What's going on here?"

So Harry told them everything Sammie did.

Afterwards, Harry could tell that his parents looked concerned.

"I think," Harry's dad eventually said, "That it's best you go to sleep and forget what that house-elf said. It was probably just a prank."

What Harry's dad said made no sense.

"Addie, you recognised Sammie. From where?" Harry asked.

"Why, Sammie is the Eago House-Elf."

"What?"

"He serves the Eago family."

"There, you see," Harry's Dad said triumphantly, "He was probably sent here as a prank by one of the Eago brothers. From what you've told us they're kind of your enemies, right?"

"Well two of them are, anyway."

"Well then, it's clear as to who sent Sammie here!"

Harry slept uneasily that night.

Was Sammie sent here as a prank by one or both of the Eago brothers? Should he take his warning seriously? Harry's parents were probably trying to protect him, because despite what his dad said they looked clearly worried.

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Professor: (**Anonymius does not own Harry Potter or anything rel**-)

Commentator: Professor, stop disclaiming things that don't need to be disclaimed!

Professor: Sorry, Sir! (**-ated.**)


	2. The Closed Barrier

**Hello, everyone! I'm back! I can see that the Commentator was kind enough to start the sequel to 'Philosopher's Stone With A Difference' without me! Well anyway, here's the second chapter!**

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The next month the family went to Egypt for holiday, which made Harry forget all about Sammie's warning. Towards the end of the month, they prepared to get all of Harry's things before term started. They arranged to meet up with the Weasleys, as well as the Grangers. While buying books, they found that a signing was going on with a wizard named Gilderoy Lockhart. Ron whispered that his mum has got all of Lockhart's books and that she fancies him. When Lockhart caught sight of Harry, he got very excited. He grabbed Harry and showed him to the rest of the shop, telling everyone that he was personally going to give him a signed copy of his book and announced that he would be teaching this year as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.

"Erm, could you please give me back my son, Mr Lockhart?" Harry's dad asked.

Lockhart look startled.

"Oh, sorry Mr Potter! But could you please lend me Harry for a little while longer, I'm sure young Harry would love to have his picture taken with a famous wizard such as myself!"

Harry's dad smiled.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr Lockhart, but I'm afraid we're in a hurry."

Grabbing Harry by the arm Harry's dad pulled him out of Lockhart's grasp. Lockhart looked as if he had been deprived of a great treat. Harry was glad to get away from him. He did not like being made a spectacle.

"Bet you liked that, didn't you Harry?"

Harry turned around to see Adam and Michael Eago grinning at him.

"Famous Harry Potter," Michael added, "Can't even go into a shop without making the front page."

"Ignore them, Harry, they're idiots."

Harry was pleased to see this person talking to him. The third Eago brother, Darren, joined his siblings.

"How are you, Darren?" Harry asked.

"Fine, thanks mate," Darren answered, "Despite being stuck with these two all summer. I've noticed your voice has broken since the end of school term."

"It has?" Harry was taken aback by Darren's observation, "To be honest I didn't really notice!"

"Oh, so you're the famous Darren Harry's told us all about?"

Harry's dad had joined the conversation. He had even forgotten that he was standing right next to him despite still holding Harry's arm. He let go of Harry and brought up his right hand.

"I'm Harry's dad. Pleased to me you."

Darren looked slightly startled.

"Er, likewise."

He shook the hand.

"I've been told that you saved Harry's life on one occasion. And any friend of Harry's is a friend of the family."

Darren seem to go slightly red. Harry could have also sworn that he looked like he was about to cry. He could imagine why. Darren had grown up shunned by everyone and unloved by his family. He was likely happy that someone was accepting him, especially someone that his dad had shepharded him away from every time the families met.

"Hey, Darren!" Ron had now joined the scene, "Long time no see!"

"Likewise," Darren grinned, "I see you've grown a little taller."

"Hello Darren!" Hermione greeted, "It's lovely to see you again!"

"Ooooooooh!"

Adam and Michael starting taunting them.

"Sounds like your girlfriend missed you, Darren!" Adam mocked.

Whereas Darren remained unaffected by his brother's remark, Hermione blushed.

"Darren and Hermione, sitting in a tree-" they started to sing, but what they were doing in the tree Harry would never know. Because just then a brawl erupted in the shop.

"ARTHUR, NO!" Harry heard Mrs Weasley scream, running to pull him off the man visible and doing most of the punching. Harry's dad had also gone to help her. When they were successful, Harry was shocked to see that it was Ron's dad, Mr Weasley. He was always so gentle and mild-mannered. What could possibly make him attack someone so violently. When he got a look at the poor beaten up person, he had an idea.

It was the father of the Eago brothers, Nero.

He had cuts and bruises everywhere, and his eyes were greatly swollen. It was a pitiful sight. Shaking, he threw a book at Ginny, Ron's sister, and struggled to get up.

"CHILDREN, WE'RE LEAVING!" Nero roared, "COME!"

As he shakily left the shop, Adam and Michael instantly followed him. Darren, however remained for a while, looking sombre.

"Well, see you at Hogwarts, guys," he said.

"DID I NOT SAY COME, DARREN?"

"Yes Sir!" Darren quickly replied, and followed his family. Harry now had an idea why he hated home so much.

"Arthur, what was that all about?" Mrs Weasley angrily demanded from Mr Weasley after they left the shop, "You should know better than that to set an example for the children!"

"That-man- insulted me!"

"That was obvious," Mrs Weasley responded, "But what did he say to you to make you beat him up?"

"Well, at first he insulted my wealth, then- well-, basically he called me a blood traitor!"

Mrs Weasley looked slightly puzzled.

"But Arthur, you are a blood traitor! So am I! So is James! If you believe that sort of thing, that is."

"Yes well it wasn't just calling me that it was how he said it. First he said I had no wizarding pride, then he told me he thought I could sink no lower given the company I kept."

He hinted at the Grangers.

"It was quite shocking, really, hearing that from Nero. Oh sure, everyone knows that he despises muggles and those who associate with them, but I never imagined that he would actually call anyone a blood traitor! He's always so timid and mild mannered, it's so unlike him to antagonise him anyone!"

"I saw why," Ron whispered. Harry thought back to their first meeting last year in the uniform shop, and tried to remember if at any point during that meeting he appeared mild mannered.

"What's a blood traitor?" Dan asked.

"It's an insult given by wizards who believe in blood purity," Harry's dad explained, "Those who believe in being pure blood, that is no muggles in the family, towards those so called pure bloods who don't believe in blood purity, such as myself and the Weasleys."

"That's a bit odd, isn't it?" Harry asked, "That he's a supporter of blood purity status? Given that his dad attacked the idea."

"Oh sorry, Harry! I think I was a little misleading. When I say he basically called me a blood traitor, what he was actually insulting was my fascination with muggles and my association with them."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Ron asked.

Mr Weasley shook his head.

"No, because while blood purity believers dislike muggles and muggle borns, Nero distinguishes between the two. Although he considers muggles to, well, basically be 'subhuman', he has no prejudice towards muggleborns, who do have magic. To him, a wizard's a wizard no matter what their heritage is. His wife herself is muggleborn, although I think she considers herself superior compared to her muggle family."

"But that still contradicts what his father believed in, doesn't it? I mean he championed the rights of muggles and squibs!"

"Well he claims that he never really believed in his father's ideas and that he was always a believer in the superiority of wizards," Harry's dad explained, "Although some believe he just says that to in order to separate himself from his father. Of course if he really was trying to conform to the blood purity believers then he'd believe in the whole thing rather than an in-between."

Harry thought back a year before, when he first met Adam Eago and how he expressed his belief towards muggleborns and muggles. _I've never been that into that whole 'blood purity' rubbish, but on the other hand muggles and squibs are our natural inferiors, aren't they? _Then he remembered how he and Michael clashed over their views on muggleborns. It was perhaps the only thing that distinguished the two who were like evil versions of Fred and George. Apart from having different coloured eyes. And that one's better at quidditch than the other. And that one is an outstanding student especially at potions while the other struggles with a few subjects, especially Potions.

Okay it was the main difference between them.

It felt like time quickly sped up afterwards and it was September the First, and they were all rushing to get on the train. The Potters found that the Weasleys were equally late, and so they rushed together. After everyone else got through the barrier, it was Harry and Ron's turn. However, instead of passing through, they just crashed into the wall. Eleven had passed, which meant the train was already gone. Not wanting to stay among the watching crowd, Harry suggested that they return to the cars to wait for their parents. That's when Ron got an idea, and suggested they take his car to Hogwarts. Harry did not understand. Ron explained that his car had been enchanted to not only fly but to become invisible as well. Excitement swelled Harry, but then caution restrained him.

"I don't know, Ron," He said, "I don't think my mum will appreciate me taking off in a flying car right about now."

"Oh come on, Harry!" Ron urged, "I'm sure she won't mind! Underaged wizards are allowed to use magic in emergencies, and this IS an emergency, isn't it? And I'm sure she doesn't want you to miss school, will she?"

Ron had won Harry over with his argument.

As they walked down the steps, the ministry officials who had driven the Potters to the station noticed them.

"What are you two doing out here?" One of them demanded, "Why aren't you on the train?"

Harry and Ron stopped.

"The barrier closed," Harry explained, "We couldn't get on!"

The officials stared at them.

"Don't be stupid!" The other snapped, "The barrier has never closed! Where are your parents?"

"On the platform," Ron told them.

"Right then," The first one stated, "I think it's best that you stay where you are until your parents come and explain yourselves!"

Well, so much for the car idea, Harry thought. It was fun while it lasted. It probably wouldn't have worked out, anyway. Moments later, Mr and Mrs Weasley had materialised.

"Oh thank heavens you're all right!" Mrs Weasley said tearfully as she hugged Ron.

"Your parents are on the way, Harry." Mr Weasley told him.

"Mr Weasley," one of the officials started to say, "These boys claimed that the barrier had closed-"

"Yes I know it did," Mr Weasley told them.

The ministry officials looked startled.

"Wh-what?" One of them spluttered, "It actually closed?"

"Yes, the porter had a similar attitude," Mr Weasley told them, "When we told him what had happened, he refused to believe us. By the time we persuaded him to come check it out, the barrier had already opened, and told us that he was shocked that four grown adults were playing a prank on him. Honestly," Mr Weasley shook his head, "That man! Thinking that a bunch of adults were playing a prank!"

By the time he had finished, Harry's family was rushing down the stairs. His mum hugged him, much to his protest.

"Does anyone know how this could have happened?" Harry asked after his mother withdrew.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Well it doesn't matter now, does it?" Harry's mum mentioned, "Harry and Ron have missed the train!"

"There's no way to get them to Hogwarts in time now, is there?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"No," Said Mr Weasley, shaking his head, "I guess all we can do now is send an owl explaining why Ron and Harry were not on the train."

"But how are they supposed to get to Hogwarts now?" Harry's mum exclaimed, "The Hogwarts Express only runs today and at holidays!"

"We could try apparating them?" Harry's dad suggested,

"James, you know that they're too young to be apparated!" Harry's mum snapped.

"How did people get to Hogwarts before the train?"

Everyone turned to look at Gerry.

"What?" asked Harry's dad.

"Well, Hogwarts Express didn't always exist, did it? And Hogwarts is a lot older, so if the train wasn't around, then how did people get to Hogwarts."

Everyone was stunned. Harry's Dad smiled. Then he started to laugh.

"That's my girl!" He said proudly, "Why didn't we think of that?

"Well, before the train was around, people used to get to Hogwarts by Floopowder. There used to be this big fireplace that everyone got transported to, but after Hogwarts Express was established it went out of use."

"There are fireplaces at Hogwarts." Mr Weasley mentioned.

"Yes, but you need permission from the teachers in order to use them," Harry's dad reminded him, "and then you'll have to go through all the trouble of contacting the ministry and getting the fireplaces connected to the floo network. That could take forever, and they'll still miss the first day. But before that people used to get to Hogwarts by-broom-sticks…"

Harry's Dad slowly smiled.

"James, what are you thinking?" Harry's mum asked.

He grinned. The same idea had occurred to Harry, and it sounded much, much better than the car.

"We can fly there," He said, "Hold on, I'll be right back."

Harry's dad disapparated.

"James, wait-!" Harry's mum called before he disappeared.

Moments later, he had come back with a broomstick in hand.

"Right then, we need to find an alleyway to take off. Here Ron, here's a spare broomstick you can use."

Harry was getting excited, and he could see Ron was well.

"James think about this for a moment! You and the boys can't fly in broad daylight-"

"Floopowder will take too long, Lily. This is the best option we have. Erm, Harry, could you take out the 'present' I gave you last year?"

It took Harry a second to realise what his father meant. He Rummaged through his trunk to take out the invisibility cloak.

"_You did give him the invisibility cloak! I can't believe you did that, James! What example are you setting to him-?_"

"Right then, attach your luggage to your broomsticks."

Harry and Ron did so.

"Okay then. Say goodbye to everyone. Arthur, Molly, I hope that this is okay with you?"

Harry took a look at the Weasleys. He could tell that they were not happy with this arrangement, especially Mrs Weasley, but he could also tell that they knew this was the best way to get to school. Harry hugged his mother and siblings and said goodbye to them, just as Ron did the exact same thing with his parents.

"Now then, we need to be under the cloak."

They all did so.

"Right then, take off when I say go. Okay, go!"

And they took off. When they were high above the city and off to Hogwarts, Harry decided that this was the way to travel.

"Can we take the cloak off now?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry's dad replied.

"What? But we're high up now, no muggle can see us!"

"That's where you're wrong, Ron. I don't want to take the risk of us being spotted by a plane."

"- What's a plane?"

"A muggle invention. It looks like a giant metal bird. They use it to fly."

Ron stared at him, then he burst out laughing.

"Oh Mr Potter!" He spluttered, "That's a good one! Yeah, muggles fly in giant metal bir-"

He trailed off. Harry noticed that what he was looking at. High above, he could see what did look an awful lot like a crude, metal bird.

About an hour travelling, however, the novelty of flying endlessly by broomstick wore off. Harry's rear had become numb after sitting on a broomstick for so long, his hands felt rough and his arms ached. His dad noticed him looking uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," He grinned, "We'll just stop off at a café below and get lunch."

They flew down to a town below, and found a café to eat, concealing their brooms and luggage with the invisibility cloak, and out of anyone's way. They would fly for about an hour before taking a break. Harry's dad assured him that they would make it in time.

Night had already fallen by the time they made it to the castle. Landing within the castle grounds, they strolled up to the entrance and went through.

The sorting had already begun. As they peeped through, Harry noticed that Professor Loki was not sitting at his seat. Ron had also noticed this.

"Hello, Children."

Harry and Ron yelped as they spun around and saw Loki behind them. He was staring at Harry's dad.

"James Potter," he hissed, "I should have known that you had something to do with this."

"What are you talking about, Loki?" Harry's dad demanded.

"Well," Loki twisted his goatee, "I found it odd how neither Mr Potter nor Mr Weasley were on the train, obviously."

He looked at the door.

"I suppose you convinced your son that he's too good to travel to Hogwarts by the train along with the rest of the lowly mortals, hmm? That a sudden entrance more suits his stature? Like father, like son, I suppose."

Harry's dad looked offended by Loki's accusation.

"That is not what happened, Loki!" He snapped, "The barrier closed and we had no other way to get to school."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"The barrier that never closes happens to close before Harry Potter can board the train? But of course! Why wasn't it obvious to me before? Do you take me for a fool, Pot-"

"Go on ahead boys."

"I think not. As their teacher-"

"You will deal with me, Loki! Go Harry, Ron!"

They did so. They tried to sneak in with no one noticing them, but the moment they came in everyone's head turned to look at them. There were loud whispers. Harry noticed Professor Dumbledore looking at something. He turned around to see his dad winking. He guessed that was a signal to the headmaster not to worry about Harry and Ron. Dumbledore smiled and nodded. Harry and Ron sat next to Hermione and Darren.

"Where have you two been?" Hermione whispered hoarsely, "We were worried sick about you two when we couldn't find you on the train!"

"We'll tell you later," Harry told her, not wanting to say anything with eavesdroppers around. He looked around, hoping to get one last look at his dad. He saw him wave at him. Harry waved back. Then his dad disappeared.

It was certainly an adventure getting here today. But he couldn't shake what Loki had said. "The barrier that never closes happens to close before Harry Potter can board the train?" Although he may not have believed their story, Harry could not but feel Loki had a slight point. What if someone deliberately closed the barrier to stop him from boarding? But who would do this? And why? And what was up between Loki and Harry's dad? The tension between them was a lot like that between him and the Eago brothers. And what did Loki mean by 'like father, like son?'


	3. The Writing On The Wall

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything related.**

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As they went up the staircase, Harry and Ron told Darren and Hermione about what had happened to the barrier.

"Well, that just seems odd!" exclaimed Hermione, "I mean the barrier has never closed, not since-"

"Since Hogwarts Express was founded, yeah we were told," Mentioned Harry, "Apparently the porter thought our parents were playing a practical joke on him."

Harry noticed that Darren was thinking hard.

"Penny for your thoughts, Darren?" Asked Harry.

"Well, I was just thinking that either it was a malfunction, which is unlikely since it hasn't malfunctioned for hundreds of years, or maybe someone deliberately closed the barrier. If that's true then it sounds like someone didn't want either the two of you or both of you to get on that train. Any idea who would want to do that?"

Harry and Ron shook their heads. Harry was thinking the same thing that it wasn't an accident, but he had no idea who would want to stop him from going to Hogwarts.

* * *

The next day it was Herbology first lesson with the Slytherins. That day they were studying mandrakes. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Darren shared a tray.

"Oi! Eagoes! Save some for the rest of us!"

Harry looked up to see an argument erupting between the Eago brothers and a huge Slytherin named Goyle. Harry realised that it was the same boy who had attempted to sabotage the Eago brothers' concoction in Potions last year, only to have it backfire on him when they charmed the rocket into plopping into his own cauldron, causing it to explode.

"Yeah, Eagoes!" Sneered Pansy Parkinson, who was also sharing their tray, "Don't hog all the soil!"

Goyle starting hopping on the spot, clutching his rear end.

"What is the matter with you, Goyle?" Professor Sprout asked.

"I dunno! Suddenly my butt is itching like crazy!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Parkinson started to do the exact same thing as Goyle.

"Now I'm itching too!" She exclaimed.

Harry recognised the action. It was the exact same thing Neville was doing after being jinxed by the Eago brothers last year during flying lessons, only more intense. He looked at the brothers, who had innocent expressions on. Professor Sprout looked lost as what to do.

"Well, both of you, go to the hospital wing to get yourselves checked out!" She told them.

It looked now that the itching had spread. As they jogged out of the greenhouse, the Eago brothers looked concerned.

"Oh dear," Said Adam, "It looked like a pandemic was going on."

"For all anyone could know, we might be next!" Said Michael, "So people should better keep away from us."

They stared at the rest of the class. Harry could see that they all understood, even though Professor Sprout likely didn't.

Harry was glad when the lesson finished, and they were off to Transfiguration. They spent the lesson trying to turn beetles into buttons. As usual, the only ones who had managed to perfectly change their beetles had been Hermione and Darren. At lunch, Hermione proudly showed off her collection of buttons. Darren, however, Harry noticed, looked rather sombre, staring at the buttons in his hands like he was holding a dead pet.

"What's wrong, Darren?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Darren quickly said, putting the buttons in his robe pockets.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"Darren seems upset," Harry said.

"I'm not upset," Darren reiterated, going red.

"Come on, you can tell us," Hermione said, "We're your friends."

"Most of you will just laugh at me," Darren said sheepishly.

"We won't," said Harry, "Will you just tell us what's wrong?"

Seeing that he had no choice, Darren sighed.

"If you must know, I didn't like what I did to the beetles in class today, okay? Depriving something of their self-awareness just, well, it seems cruel to me, it's worse than killing them!"

Everyone else was silent. It was broken by Ron's laughter.

"Is that what's been bothering you? Darren, IT'S-A-BEETLE," Ron emphasised as if he was talking to a child. Harry could have sworn that Darren's face flared.

"Just because something is smaller than you, Ron, doesn't make it's life worthless!"

"Darren, it's just a beetle! It doesn't have a brain or feelings!"

"Actually it does, Ron."

"Seriously? A tiny beetle?"

Darren looked at Ron as if he had said something really stupid.

"No Ron, it just mindlessly scuttles across everything throughout its life without being aware of its surroundings since it has no senses. Heck it's a miracle it finds any food since its not aware of it or the need for food, the mouth and eyes and feelers it has must be an evolutionary accident!"

There was silence. Ron looked as if a brick had been thrown in his face. Darren aggresively stabbed his meal with his spoon.

"Honestly, the idea that no animal is self-aware is the dumbest rationalisation in the world! I mean plants aren't self-aware. Neither are germs. Animals are different! And even if it's not much of a brain, so what if it isn't capable of learning how to pot a mandrake, it's still self-aware, and taking away something's self-awareness is-well-" Darren struggled to find the right word, "It just feels unnatural to me! Doesn't the fact that its not as complex make it the more precious?"

Hermione no longer looked pleased about her work. Looking guilty, she quickly stashed away her buttons as if hiding a body.

After finishing lunch, they spent the remainder of the afternoon break outside, where a small Slytherin first year named Neil Veer approached Harry.

"H-hello, Harry Potter," He stammered, "My name's Neil Veer. W-would it be okay if I took a photo of you?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"To show my parents! I know all about you, of course! My family wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for you! And-would it be okay if you signed it for me?"

"_Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Harry?_"

Harry recognised Adam Eago's mocking voice. When he turned around to face him, to his surprise Michael wasn't with him. Instead he was surrounded by a dozen first years. They appeared to come from all houses, whether they were Ravenclaws or Gryffindors, even a couple of Hufflepuffs! One first year, a tall boy named Mortimer De'ath, was even a Slytherin.

"STEP RIGHT US, FOLKS!" Adam was shouting as loudly as he could, " THE ONE AND ONLY HARRY POTTER, THAT'S IT, THE BOY-WHO-LIVED, IS WILLING TO HAVE HIS PICTURE TAKEN AND HAVE IT SIGNED! GET YOURS QUICKLY BEFORE YOU HAVE TO QUEUE FOR HOURS TO GET THEM!"

"SHUT UP, EAGO!" Harry snapped angrily, "I'M NOT GIVING OUT SIGNED PHOTOS!"

Neil looked up at Adam.

"You're just jealous of him, Blood Traitor!" He accused.

A large, burly Gryffindor first year named Gorillarma Nathergreg grabbed hold of Neil's front robe and lifted him in the air.

"You watch your tongue, Veer," He threatened, pulling back his fist.

"Hey!"

Harry and his friends spoke simultaneously, standing up. Adam stared at them.

"Gryffindors standing up for a Slytherin? I never thought I'd see the day! Oh, not that I'm including you guys!" He gestured to those of his group that were in Gryffindor.

"Put him down, Eago!"

"Oh fine! Nathergreg, put him down."

Nathergreg instantly did so. At that point Lockhart appeared, hearing about signed photos and wanting to have it taken with Harry.

Later that week, it was quidditch practice. Or at least it should have been. On the pitch they had found that Slytherin had got the slot in order to train their new seeker, who, to Harry's surprise, was Adam. Not that he wasn't any good. On the contrary, Harry still remembered how quickly he moved when he and Darren went up against him and his brother when they were fighting over Neville's remembral. He was surprised because given that he was the grandson of the most hated person in Slytherin history that he would ever find a place on their team. The moment he was introduced Harry heard cheering. Looking up on the seats he saw his gang of first years applauding.

"Nathergreg! King! Scorpio! Bere! Healf!" Wood shouted, "Why are you cheering for a Slytherin? You're in Gryffindor!"

Adam's brother Michael was also present, though sitting apart from the gang. Apparently Adam's father had pulled some strings in order for him to be on the team, including a new set of brooms for the team.

"At least, the people on the Gryffindor team got on for merit, they didn't buy themselves in!" said Hermione.

Adam's nostrils flared.

"No one asked your opinion, rabbit features."

Hermione looked as if she had been slapped. Tears started forming.

"You'll pay for that, Eago!" Snarled Ron, marching up and taking out his wand, pointing it at Adam. But before I he could perform any sort of hex Adam waved his wand across and the hex back fired. The Slytherins laughed.

"Next time you attack someone, Ron," Adam managed to say through his fits of laughter, "Make sure it's not a wizard who's more talented than you!"

Harry, Darren and Hermione dragged Ron away.

"You shouldn't have done that," Hermione chastised Ron.

"I don't care," said Ron, coughing up slugs, "I'd do it again if I had the chance!"

Time passed quickly, and soon it was Halloween. Harry couldn't enjoy it, however, because he and his friends ended up at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party, which was no fun at all. They eventually managed to get free, and rushed back to the great hall to make it for desert. As Harry was thinking what they would be serving and whether the rumoured skeletons would still be performing, by the time they got to the doors they stopped. What was in the hallway made Hermione scream.

Hanging by his tail, tied on a piece of rope attached to the sealing, was Hagrid's boarhound Fang, limp and lifeless. His eyes were blankly staring at nothing. It was a horrible sight.

"FANG!" He heard Hermione scream tearfully, "FANG, CAN YOU HEAR US?"

Soon Ron and Darren were also calling to him, hoping to wake him up. But Harry was too petrified to do anything. The doors swung open. Everyone was rushing out to see what had made Hermione scream. When they caught sight of Fang, they stopped. Some screamed, though not as badly as Hermione. Others fainted. Some vomited.

"Wha's goin on 'ere?" Harry heard Hagrid ask. Oh no, he thought.

"Why is everyone-?"

He stopped. Slowly he looked up. For a moment he just stared at his borehound. Then he broke the silence.

"FANG!" He roared. It was a sound worse than Hermione's scream. "FANG, SPEAK TO ME, BOY!"

Whipping out his wand, Hagrid pointed it at Fang. The rope tied to his tail untied itself, and Fang floated down below into Hagrid's arms.

"Fang?" He whispered softly to the boarhound.

Fang didn't respond.

"Fang?" Hagrid repeated.

Harry walked slowly towards Hagrid.

"Hagrid, is he-?" He began to ask.

Hagrid buried his face into Fang and roared as he broke down into tears. This confirmed Harry's fear.

Fang was dead.

Harry felt numb. He could not believe it. Fang was dead. Harry now noticed something that was behind Fang. Across the wall was painted a couple of lines, painted in what looked like, and smelt like, blood. The words said:

**THE BLOOD TRAITOR HAS RETURNED**

**DEATH TO THE SERPENT**

Painted below it was some sort of picture. Harry walked towards the wall to get a better look. It looked like a crude picture of a bird. Judging from what Harry guessed were meant to be talons, it was probably supposed to represent a hawk or an eagle. On level with it's head was a long wiggling shape. It was probably supposed to be something like a worm. Or a snake.

Harry heard people screaming. He looked around and saw the Slytherins yelling and running around. Harry couldn't tell what they were saying, but they were clearly frightened.

"SILENCE!"

Dumbledore's loud cry had brought order to the school, although the Slytherins still were still trembling. Dumbledore strode towards Hagrid, and bent down at face level.

"Hagrid," He said softly, "I'm sorry to ask you this, but could you please bring Fang to my office?"

Hagrid nodded, sniffing. Slowly getting up, he glimpsed the words on the wall. Lockhart offered his office, since it was closer. As the teachers started to depart, Dumbledore turned to Harry and his friends and said "Please come with me as well."

As they followed, Hagrid cried, "Why? Why did he attack Fang? He was a coward, He didn' do harm to nobody!"

They followed the staff to Lockhart's office. Dumbledore told Hagrid to put Fang on the desk. He examined him.

"How did it happen, Professor?" Hagrid asked, "What-?"

He trailed off. He could not bring himself to say it.

"I'm not sure, Hagrid," Dumbledore answered, "There's a long cut along his stomach. That is possibly what killed him, or the culprit killed him with dark magic and cut him open for some other purpose."

Harry could already guess what that other purpose was, and thought back to the blood smelling writing.

"Hagrid, when was the last time you saw Fang?" Dumbledore asked Hagrid.

Hagrid blew his nose.

"J-just before I went up to the castle for the feast! He-was-fine!"

He broke down into tears in his hankerchief again.

"It seems that Fang was killed and hung sometime during the feast," Dumbledore concluded.

"That would clear virtually everyone living in the castle, then, given that almost everyone was at the feast," said McGonagall.

"Minerva, you surely don't believe that someone in this school was responsible for this act?" Flitwick asked.

"Certainly not, I was simply stating a fact."

"Nonetheless, not everyone has a liable alibi, do they?"

Professor Loki had spoken. He was glancing at Harry and his friends. His implication did not go unnoticed.

"Now wai' jus' a minute' here!"

Hagrid had got up and strode towards Loki, "Yeh surely no' suggesting tha' these kids were responsible, are you Loki?"

"I am merely pointing out," Loki shrugged, "That out of all the school these four are the only ones without an alibi."

"That's not true!" Harry shouted, "We were at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party, there-"

"DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO, POTTER!" Loki snarled.

"That's enough, Luke," Dumbledore said.

His tone was more forceful than Loki's loudest command. He turned and smiled at Harry.

"Go on, Harry," He urged.

"There were loads of ghosts there. At Nick's Deathday party, they'll tell you!"

The others nodded. Loki twisted his goatee.

"That would still give some ample time to kill the dog and string him up, maybe? After all, isn't it the person who finds the body the most likely subject?"

"THA'S ENOUGH, LOKI!" Hagrid roared. He pointed at them, "These four are my friends! They loved Fang! Why would they wan' teh hur' him?"

"Forgive me if I was mistaken, Hagrid, but I was under the impression that you weren't fond of one of them."

He was staring at Darren. Hagrid follow his trail of sight.

"Well-yes we didn' get on the right side of the foo' to star' off with, bu'-"

"Perhaps he still harbours some negative feeling towards you, hmm? Maybe he decided to take out some of his anger on your dog, Hmm?"

Hagrid stared at him. What Loki was suggesting was atrocious. Darren had always put up with the persecution he received. He couldn't even hurt a beetle, how could he possibly hurt Fang?

"Darren's been with us the whole time!" Harry said. Ron and Hermione nodded.

"Headmaster, forgive me if I don't find the account of three friends to be liable-"

"That's enough, Loki!" McGonagall barked, "I do not believe for a moment that these four had anything to do with this appalling act! It seems that whoever did this was someone outside the school! Unless you're going to start accusing Professor Trelawney next, or any of the ghosts or Peeves?"

"I agree," Said Dumbledore, "You four may return to your dormitories."

Silently, the four returned to the tower, all minds focused on the death of Fang, and how Hagrid could cope. And something else occupied Harry's mind. Who was the Blood Traitor? By 'the serpent', did he actually mean Slytherin? If it really was a message to Slytherin, then why would he attack Fang? What did Fang have to do with Slytherin? And did he really mean what he said? Was he really going to start killing Slytherins as well, and hang them up like poor Fang with their blood used to paint a terrible message?


	4. Legend of the Blood Traitor

**I do not own 'Harry Potter' or anything related.**

* * *

The next morning, it seemed like all everyone could talk about was the events of last night. Everyone seemed to asking who was the mysterious Blood Traitor, and when he (or she) would strike again. Everyone seemed to shun away from Harry and his friends. Given that they were the ones who apparently found Fang, they were perhaps suspected of having something to do with it. It made Harry feel like a leper. Everyone seemed to stay away from Ron the most, probably logically assuming that since his family are infamous blood traitors then the culprit is likely him. It was probably the reason why Ginny looked so miserable.

"Let's go to Hagrid's later today," Harry suggested.

The rest agreed.

That day they walked down to Hagrid's hut.

"YEH CAME!" He roared after answering the door. He hugged all of them. "Yeh shouldn' have done! I'm all righ', yeh shouldn' worry about me!"

He smiled. But he didn't look fine at all. In fact him trying to look fine made him look worse, Harry thought. Throughout the day, Harry noticed Hagrid constantly giving Darren dirty looks. Surely he didn't believe Loki that Darren had something to do with what happened to Fang? There was something Harry wanted to ask Hagrid, but he remembered the promise he made to his mum about not getting involved in any trouble. However Darren asked the question instead.

"Hagrid, who's the Blood Traitor?"

Hagrid stared at Darren. He then looked at the others.

"Is this why yeh came ter see me?" He demanded, "Wantin' ter pump me of any information?"

"No, Hagrid!" Hermione screamed, "That's not true at all!"

"I know yeh lot!" Hagrid continued, "Yeh wantin' ter know everythin' abou' the mystery then try ter track the culpri' down! Jus' find out everythin' from the big fa' brute, no' carin' tha' his pe' jus' died-"

"Hagrid, that's not true at all!" Ron shouted.

Hagrid grunted.

"Anyway," He said rather innocently, "Wha' makes yeh think I know anythin'?"

"It was just what you said after reading the message," Darren explained, "It was as if the name was familiar to you."

Hagrid eyes shifted from side to side.

"Well, even if I did know anythin', which I'm no' sayin' I do!" He added quickly, "I wouldn' tell yeh lot anythin'. Wouldn' wan' yeh ter ge' in to danger because of me!"

"Hagrid, we can't," Harry told him, "I promised my mum that I wouldn't get involved in anything like the Philosopher's Stone again! Darren was just curious!"

Hagrid just stared at them.

"Well, all righ'. Sorry tha' I go' a bi' offensive. I can understand yeh a little curious. All righ', I'll tell yeh."

He now bent down so that he was at face level and whispered, "Jus' promise me tha' yeh won' go lookin' for him."

Everyone nodded, although Harry noticed that each of his friends had a hand in their pocket. Hagrid sniffed again.

"He's an urban legend," Hagrid told them, "Or a' leas' tha's wha' the teachers told us. An explanation given to random events. However, tha' didn' stop the students from thinkin' otherwise.

"It all started in meh fourth year. Students were dyin'. Of course they all seemed like accidents, or illnesses, or students dabbling in magic that they shouldn' have. But yeh see there hadn' been deaths at Hogwarts in over a hundred years, and now for students to suddenly be droppin' dead and so frequently and the fac' tha' all the deaths were Slytherins, well, I' go' people thinking, yeh see. Students were startin' ter think tha' these were no' random deaths, bu' tha' they were made to look unsuspicious, by someone who wanted all the Slytherins gone. The Slytherins had loads of names for him, or her. Some called him the 'Blood Traitor', others the 'Mudblood'. 'The Gryffindor' was the most popular, cos they thought that it was likely tha' i' was someone from our house who was killin' them off. Whatever the case they were all convinced tha' i' was someone against Slytherin.

"Then towards the end of meh fourth year, the deaths suddenly stopped. People at firs' though' tha' the Traitor had done a runner, or maybe tha' there really weren' anyone behind them after all."

Harry thought about what Hagrid had just told them. The Blood Traitor, Mudblood or whoever he or she was sounded like a proto-Eago.

Wait…

"Hagrid," Darren began to ask, "Was my grandfather at school during these murders?"

Hagrid stared at him.

"Yes, and many people did suspect him of being the Blood Traitor. He was infamous for his hatred of Slytherin, even at school, and he often bullied Slytherins. He terrified the whole house. But was he capable of murderin' them? At the time?"

Hagrid shook his head.

"I don' know. Lookin' back, knowin' wha' he did, he probably was. Bu' he was still at school when it was over. Nothin' seemed to be done abou' i'. If he was the Blood Traitor, well, likehood he porabably gave up, although I can' see him doin' tha'."

"And did the Blood Traitor ever attack you?" Ron asked.

Hagrid stared at him.

"No," He finally answered, "only Slytherins died. The rest of the school was safe. Back then I though' he was doin' us a favour. Ashamed of myself thinkin' tha' now."

Hagrid's lip started to shake.

"Bu' why? Why did he attack Fang? Was i' because of me? I hated Slytherin, I hated their whole creed about purebloods and how they were better than everyone else, why would he attack Fang?"

Hagrid buried his face in his hands. The foursome did their best to comfort him. They no longer pursued the subject.

Hours later they left Hagrid's hut. Although they had failed to cheer him up, they had definitely learnt a lot about the Blood Traitor.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Hermione asked.

"Eventually," Darren answered, "Of course I don't think he'll ever fully heal, but it will get better, I'm sure of it."

"You know," Ron said, "If he hadn't killed Hagrid's pet, I would have said that this Blood Traitor is doing us all a favour."

"RON!"

Everyone else had turned around and shouted at Ron. He was overwhelmed.

"I'm just saying," He tried to protest, "that the world is probably better with one less Slytherin."

"So people should just go about murdering Slytherins whenever they feel like it, then?" Hermione demanded.

Ron went pale and speechless. He also looked slightly ashamed. Harry himself could not believe what Ron had just said. True, Harry didn't like Slytherin as much as anyone, even if he was something of a hero within that house for defeating Eago, but he would never justify killing them! That would just make him worse than most of them!

"So do you think it was your grandfather who was the Blood Traitor?" Ron asked Darren.

He nodded.

"I'm sure of it," He answered, "It seems too much of a coincidence that this all happened when he was at school. Also killing people randomly throughout the year and making it look like accidents sounds like the sort of thing he is capable of."

Harry stared at the Forbidden Forest. He thought back to Sammie warning him not to return to Hogwarts. If his parents had allowed him the choice, there was another reason why not coming back to Hogwarts was appealing.

It's the fact that the wizard who tried to kill him twice now was situated right next to the school.

Ever since facing Eago again, Harry had been frequently having more nightmares. This of course had concerned his parents, but no amount of talking with a mensdica (Wizarding Therapist) stopped him from dreaming about Eago trying to kill him. After fleeing Quirrell's body, had he returned to the centaurs who gave him refuge before? His friends now also stared in the direction Harry was looking at.

"Why doesn't Dumbledore do something?" He asked aloud, "We know that Eago is in the Forbidden Forest, why doesn't he capture him or something?"

"I think Dumbledore fears that making any move to capture him would cause Eago to escape," Said Darren, "At least this way we all know exactly where he is."

"I'd prefer him to be anywhere but Hogwarts," Said Harry.

"Look, Harry," Said Hermione, "Dumbledore's not going to let Eago kill you or anything. He was hiding in Quirrell for a whole year and he didn't do anything to you."

"Yeah, you're right, except jinx my broom so that I almost fell off, and it's not like Dumbledore stopped Fang from dying. If Eago really was behind the killing then he could kill me wherever he liked."

This clearly upset his friends more than he anticipated.

"How do you think he did it?" Ron asked, "Possessed someone again? Or sent one of the centaurs?"

"I don't know," Darren said, "But what I can't get my head around is why assume an identity he hasn't used for fifty years? Well, fancy searching for some clues?"

"I can't," Harry instantly said, "I meant what I said back at Hagrid's hut. I promised my mum I wouldn't get involved with this sort of stuff anymore."

Darren looked at him.

"I'm not asking you to go up against the Blood Traitor, Harry. There's no harm in re-looking at the crime scene, is there?"

Harry guessed not. Later they returned to just outside the hall.

"See anything?" Harry asked.

"Nope," Said the others. The writing in blood was still there. Filch had been having problems wiping it off. It definitely smelt of blood.

"My, my, isn't this suspicious?"

Everyone jumped. Loki had appeared behind him. Harry wished he didn't just keep popping out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry," Darren asked "But what's suspicious?"

"Well," Loki shrugged, "Four suspects returning to the scene of the crime of course."

"Forgive me Sir," Said Darren, "But what reason would a criminal have in returning to the scene of the crime?"

Loki considered this.

"In that case," He said, "The only reason you four could have for being here is that you're trying to do some detective work."

He now looked at Harry.

"And I would have thought that some of your parents would have forbidden you from getting involved in anything like the Philosopher's Stone incident from last year."

"We were just passing through," Ron said, "It's a free country, isn't it?"

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr Weasley," said Loki, "I do not tolerate cheek from my students."

Putting his hands behind his back, he decided to walk way. He turned his head around.

"I shall be keeping an eye on you four," He told them, "And I shall inform certain people's parents of any future detective work."

The others did not seem that concerned with Loki's threat.

"So what do we do now?" Asked Ron.

"Well, why don't we ask the victims?" Darren suggested.

Everyone else looked at him. Darren grinned.

"There's an old muggle saying," He said, "'Dead men tell no tales'. But in the wizarding world, dead men do tell tales, at least if they leave a ghost."

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, "Why didn't I think of that before?"

"But even if they did come back as ghosts, will they still likely be here?" Ron pointed out. Darren nodded.

"They're bound to be. Ghosts tend to haunt the places where they died."

"Should we go ask Hagrid where the ghosts are?"

Darrenn shook his head.

"And what, just get him upset again? Nah. Although if anyone's bound to know, it should be the ghosts of Hogwarts. Let's go ask Nearly Headless Nick."

As the three started to look for Nick, they stopped and turned around.

"Harry, aren't you coming?" Ron asked.

Harry had remained where he was.

"I'm sorry guys," He apologised, "But I promised my mum I wouldn't do this sort of thing again, and I don't want to risk Loki catching me."

Ron stared at him as if Harry had admitted something shameful. Hermione looked worried. It was hard to tell what Darren was thinking.

"It's okay, Harry," He said sincerely, "You don't have to get involved. But I want to know, I need to know, who's behind all of this."

The other two nodded. They continued walking away, leaving Harry alone. He watched them get further away, becoming separated from them. He felt so ashamed, like he did something cowardly. Well, he did promise his mum that he wouldn't go looking for trouble again. But why was he keeping his promise? Was he afraid of his mum getting angry, punishing him? No, he wasn't. What was stopping him was the fact that he gave her his word, and it would be wrong to break a promise. But did he really mean the promise? No, he didn't. He stared at his friends, getting further away from him. Well, it wasn't really like they were going after the Blood Traitor, Harry thought. They were only trying to find out more about him. Other students were bound to do the same! Surely there wasn't any harm in satisfying his curiosity, is there? And even if Loki does tell on him, he'll simply say that he didn't think his promise extended to finding out about the trouble as opposed to getting involved.

"Hey guys!" He called, running after them, "Wait up!"

They eventually found Nick haunting the Gryffindor tower. He seemed to guess what they wanted to know before they asked him.

"Let me guess," He asked, "You want to know about the incidents fifty years ago, correct?"

The group looked taken aback.

"How did you know?" Ron asked.

Nick shrugged.

"Everyone's been wanting a first hand account of the so-called 'Blood Traitor' killings."

So-called?

"So, you don't believe that anyone was behind these deaths?" Hermione asked.

"Certainly not," Replied Nick with absolute certainty, "It is a mere conspiracy theory. There was no one responsible for those deaths. People die because they die. Death is by nature random and unexpected."

"But also impartial," Replied Darren, "And don't you think it was odd that all those who died came from Slytherin?"

"Coincidence," Nick scoffed.

"Hagrid seemed to believe there was a serial killer," Harry pointed out.

"Hagrid was young at the time, and the idea that there was this mysterious, cunning murderer killing Slytherins and making it look like accidents was the kind of thing that enthralled young minds. Myself, and other mature people, were more down to earth about the whole matter."

"And what about now? After what happened to Fang?" Harry asked.

"Well clearly that was intentional," Nick admitted, "But I see no reason for it as proof that the Blood Traitor as he was so called by some people ever existed. It is obvious that it was some cruel prank passed off as the deed of a fifty year old serial killer."

Harry, however, was still not convinced, and he could see from the faces of his friends that they weren't either.

"Well anyway," He continued, "Could you please tell us about the incidents?"

Nick groaned.

"Very well," He gave in, "I see there's no way in swerving you away from this fantasy. Very well, although I still think you're wasting your time."

"There were three incidents associated with the Blood Traitor. The first incident was during the start of the new school term. Two students had been found dead in a hallway, opposite each other. It looked as though they had killed each other in a duel using dark magic. A spell later confirmed that they had used terrible magic with their wands, although each claimed that there was no duel, that each one attacked the other unprovoked. They're still arguing about it, in the hallway where they died, over who attacked the other. The deaths were quite shocking. Nobody had died within these walls for over a hundred years. And even though it was strange how each of them claimed that the other attacked them, it did not seem like the actions of another individual.

"Almost a fortnight had passed when another student, also from Slytherin, had died. Theodore Nott, from dragon pox."

"Dragon pox?" All of them exclaimed.

"Oh yes, it was most shocking. Even though his family claimed that he already had dragon pox, the symptoms were clear. Now already two incidents had passed within a fortnight of each other, the first deaths in Hogwarts for over a hundred years, both involving students from Slytherin. People were convinced that there was some terrible curse over the house of Slytherin. Many turned to religion, hoping to be protected from the hands of Death. However, despite this, nobody believed that these were deliberately committed by the hands of a human being.

"Then seven months later, just when everyone seemed to have put the deaths behind them, a third incident occurred, and that's when the Blood Traitor conspiracy theory started. Early morning, during a potions lesson, one of the cauldrons exploded, killing the pair who were working on it. The staff believed that it was a freak accident, that they accidentally put the wrong ingredient in causing a horrific explosion. However, others started to believe that it was no accident, that someone planted something in that cauldron to make it explode. Then people started connecting dots that weren't there with the previous deaths that year, noting that they were all Slytherins, and started believing that these weren't ordinary deaths either, that someone had poisoned poor Nott and made it looked like it was dragon pox, given that he had already had it. They also believed that someone had bewitched Lestrange and Avery into killing each other, taking note their conflicting stories and their claim that each was innocent. People started to believe that someone was out murdering Slytherins, and making it look like accidents or non-suspicious deaths. Some thought the culprit was a blood traitor, others a muggle born, someone opposed to the Slytherin creed. Most believed that it was someone from Gryffindor, Slytherin's greatest rival. The accusations caused a huge riot, Slytherins fighting and accusing Gryffindors of murdering them. It was utter chaos."

Nick shook his head, which almost came off.

"The whole house was terrified. It was like they were living under a storm cloud and that lightning was about to strike anyone and they didn't know when."

Nick coughed.

"Of course there were no more deaths after that, and by the next year everyone had given up on the Blood Traitor conspiracy. They started to realise that what happened in Potions really was an accident, and that even though Nott's infliction was strange there were incidents of people receiving dragon pox twice. Avery and Lestrange may have had conflicting stories about who attacked who, but they were probably trying to hide the fact that they were using dark magic."

There was silence. Despite Nick's assertion that the deaths weren't murders, Harry was still convinced that these were deliberate killings.

"Nicholas," Darren began. Harry noted how he used his full name rather than shortened, "Did all the victims leave ghosts?"

"Certainly," Nick replied, "You actually saw them at my Deathday party. It is such a tragedy that such a tremendous occasion should be tainted with such a horrific event."

Harry could sense Darren's excitement mounting.

"And are they all still here?" He asked.

"Oh yes, ghosts tend to stay close to the places where they died. Of course I never died at Hogwarts, but many ghosts have always been drawn to the school."

"And the victims, what were their names?" Darren asked.

"Well like I said, there were five victims in total whose deaths were associated with the blood traitor. There were Rabastan Lestrange, Avarius Avery, Theodore Nott, Evan Rosier and Michael Mulciber."


	5. The Rogue Bludger

**I do not own 'Harry Potter'' or anything related.**

* * *

Lestrange and Avery were not too hard to find. They found them arguing in one of the corridors.

"No, you attacked me first!"

"No, YOU attacked me first!"

"No, you did!"

"No, you did!"

Harry just stared at the ghosts. He could not understand how they could possibly be having the exact same argument for fifty years.

"Um, excuse me?" Harry asked.

The two ghosts turned to look at him. They both brightened up a lot when seeing him.

"Ah, Harry Potter!"

"What can we do for you?" Avery asked.

"Well, um," Harry didn't know exactly how to phrase it, "We were wondering if you tell us, you know, how you died?"

Harry was worried about upsetting them, but instead they seemed quite pleased.

"Ah yes, a lot of students have been asking about that," Lestrange said, "It's like being a celebrity!

"Well, it all began when Avery here had sent me a message to meet him in this very corridor-"

"Ahem, I believe you mean YOU sent an message to ME to meet YOU here?"

"I did no such thing! I had the piece of paper to prove it!"

"Oh, and where is this piece of paper now?"

"I, um, lost it."

"How convenient."

"Well where's this slip of paper YOU claim I sent you?"

"I, um, lost it."

"Oh, how convenient too!"

"Er, maybe it's best that each of you give your account separately."

The ghosts looked at Darren.

"Nobody gave you permission to speak, Blood Traitor."

"How about each of you gives your own account about what happened one at a time?" Harry suggested. The two ghosts looked at him, and nodded.

Lestrange continued to say that once he met up with Avery, he took out his wand and shot a killing curse at Lestrange. When questioning Avery, he gave the exact same story except it was him instead of Lestrange who got the mysterious note to come to this corridor where Lestrange shot him with a curse. Harry thanked them for their help. Walking away, however, they realise that they had learnt nothing new.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Ron said to Darren, "Why do the Slytherins keep calling you and your brother blood traitors? You're half-bloods, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Darren answered, "What's your point?"

"My point is that blood traitor only refers to purebloods like me!" Ron replied, "They hate it when pureblood don't keep to the blood line, they're not as fussed when it's half-bloods!"

"Yes well, remember, Ron, my grandfather was the most infamous blood traitor of all time, so we've kinda inherited his infamy."

Later the group questioned Nott, nicknamed 'Spotty Nott', who had become the centre of attention as others were asking him about the blood traitor incidents. Eventually Harry and his friends got their turn. Nott really didn't say anything they hadn't learnt from Nick already: he just told them that one day he was feeling ill, then suddenly broke out into dragon pox, which was odd since he had it years ago. He eventually died from it. Finally they talked to Rosier and Mulciber, who were covered in ghostly cloth, possibly to conceal their burnt forms. They just told them that they were busy putting in the ingredients for their potion when they put one in that caused the cauldron to explode. The teachers thought they put too many spleens in the mixture, although they claimed they didn't. All of the ghosts seemed to respect only Harry, and expressed utmost loathing towards Hermione, Darren and Ron.

After questioning all five ghosts, the group decided to discuss what they had discovered.

"Well I definitely think that there was someone behind all these deaths," Said Darren.

"You think so?" Asked Hermione.

"Come on," Said Darren, "Mysterious notes sent to the both of them to meet in a place where nobody would be around? Clearly someone had sent them those notes to get them there and make it look like they duelled each other to the death! And Nott, I think someone did poison him, with something that faked the symptoms of dragon pox. As for Rosier and Mulciber, I think someone did put something in their cauldron beforehand, causing it to react powerfully when combined with the spleen.

"What I don't get, though, is why the Blood Traitor stopped killing Slytherins when he was on a roll? And why restart now after fifty years of inactivity?"

This Harry could not answer and was just as baffled.

* * *

The next day aurors arrived at the school, to guard it against another attack (Although apparently the Minister for Magic took much convincing before sending them for a possible attack). On Saturday that week, it was the first Quidditch match of the year, with Gryffindor against Slytherin. And it would be the first time Harry would play against Adam. But while playing, it was not the only problem he had. One of the bludgers suddenly went rogue, focusing solely on Harry. Seeing Adam taunting him, Harry noticed the gold snitch right above his ear. He did not seem to have noticed. Harry zoomed towards the snitch. Adam, thinking that Harry was about to crash into him, got out of the way. However, just as Harry was about to catch the snitch, Adam came back up head to head with Harry and knocked his hand away. He had clearly realised what Harry had saw. As they fumbled for the snitch, Adam looked like he was about to grab it.

No, Harry thought. I'm not going to give him this victory. With full determination Harry knocked Adam's hand away and grabbed the snitch, falling off his broom and rolling on the ground several times. He held it up in the air. Gryffindor had won.

After passing out and coming to, Harry found Lockhart looking down on him, preparing to fix Harry's arm, which had been broken earlier by the rogue bludger. Harry heard a click, then an explosion.

He now heard screaming. Hermione was one of the screamers, and he had never heard her make a noise like that. He heard people panicking, crying, and running around. He heard McGonagall barking, trying to keep control. With all the strength he had left, Harry lifted his head up. Opposite him, a few metres away, although McGonagall was creating a sheet to cover the body, Harry caught glimpses of a small, charred corpse. It reminded him of the burnt troll he and his friends came across last year when trying to stop Eago from getting the philosopher's stone. Although he couldn't see who it was, and doubted that he would recognise the person even if he saw the face, he had a good guess who it was. He thought of the clicking he had heard right before the explosion.

"What's going on?" Asked Neil Veer, even though he was dead.

Harry now heard new loud bouts of screaming. Looking up, what he saw horrified him, although he felt ashamed to be feeling like that. Floating in the air, right above where the body was, was Neil's ghost, in the form of a burnt, skeletal corpse. His hair was sticking upwards. He did not seem to realise what had happened to him.

"Veer, I'm so sorry," McGonagall told him, "I truly am."

Neil's ghost looked baffled.

"Why, wha-?"

He noticed his hands. Slightly turning them, examining them, Neil stared at him. It was hard to tell his expression on his burnt, skull-like face.

"I'm-dead-?"

Moments later he clutched his head and wailed. It was a worse sound than any of the screaming he had heard.

"That's not fair!" He sobbed, "I've only just started school! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"

Harry's head collapsed on the ground. No, he thought. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

* * *

Lockhart's later attempt at healing Harry's broken arm wound him up in the hospital wing. It was not a comfortable moment, particularly with Neil's body, although wrapped up, laying on the bed right next to his. His ghost was sobbing over his body. Harry wanted to say something, to comfort the ghost, but what do you say to someone who had just died and became a ghost? Somehow saying 'sorry' didn't sound good enough.

Apparently when Neil tried to take a picture of Harry when his arm was broken his camera exploded, killing him although everyone else was unharmed.

"The stupid boy probably put in too much powder," Said McGonagall, after the body was transported.

Harry spoke up.

"Professor, isn't it possible that-you know-someone put too much powder in his camera to make it look like an accident?"

McGonagall turned to face him. It was hard to tell what she was thinking.

"Not unless someone got close enough to put the powder in."

"Maybe they were invisible! Professor, if this was the same person who killed Fang-"

"The aurors reported no one breaching the castle during the whole incident. There was no intruder."

That made no sense, Harry thought. The fact that everyone was at the feast during the incident with Fang suggested that the killer was an outsider, but the fact that no intruder was detected suggested that it was someone on the inside.

Harry woke up in the middle of the night to sobbing. But it wasn't Neil who was crying this time. It was someone Harry did not expect to see.

It was Sammie.

"Sammie?"

Sammie the house-elf, at the end of Harry's bed, was bemoaning as to why he had returned to school despite his warnings. Harry was quite angry to learn that it had been Sammie who had sealed the barrier at King's Cross, and not only that, but had bewitched the bludger to focus on Harry. Apparently it was done so that he would be sent home.

"Harry Potter is not safe!" Sammie was moaning, "Not when the one who committed all those terrible murders all those years ago is back!"

Harry held his breath.

"So there was a Blood Traitor," He said, "And he's come back to finish off Slytherin. But Sammie, why am I in danger? I'm not a Slytherin! Okay I'm somewhat of a hero to them for defeating Eago, but I'm in Gryffindor! Why would the Blood Traitor want to hurt me?"

Sammie just shook his head. Harry laid back in his bed.

"What I also don't get," Harry continued, "Is why you want to protect me in the first place."

Sammie looked taken aback.

"Sammie does not understand, Sir."

"Well, why do you want to protect me?"

"Why, because you are Harry Potter, Sir! The famous Harry Potter, loved by all-"

"Wizards," Harry finished, remembering the attitude the centaurs had towards him last year, "But why should a house elf like yourself care about what happens to me? I'm the reason Eago was vanquished, wasn't I? And Eago fought for house-elf rights, didn't he? So-why do you so admire someone who stopped your lives from becoming less miserable?"

From Sammie's expression, Harry could tell that he had dreaded Harry asking this, and did not know how to reply.

"I-I cannot say, Sir!" He replied.

"Look, for all I know, this could be a prank. All you've done is try to frighten me, stop me from going to Hogwarts, and break my arm. I know you're the Eago house-elf, for all I know, you were sent by Adam and Michael to make my life miserable."

Sammie looked offended.

"Masters Adam and Michael are not Sammie's only masters, Harry Potter."

"What do you mean? Has someone else sent you here?"

"I cannot say anymore, Sir! Sammie has done great risk warning you in the first place! Please, Harry Potter," he pleaded, "It is crucial that you stay far away from Hogwarts this year! Please, go home!"

"Why? Is Eago the Blood Traitor?"

"I cannot say anymore, Sir!"

And with that, he vanished.

* * *

The next day, Harry's arm's bones were fully regrown, and he was fit to leave the hospital wing. After meeting up with his friends, Harry had something to ask Darren.

"Darren, you have a house-elf named Sammie, right?"

Darren spun around to face him.

"How do you know that?"

"He visited me last night."

Darren's eyes widened.

"What?" He asked.

"And it's not the only time," Harry continued, "He visited me months ago, telling me that terrible things were to happen to Hogwarts and that it was best that I stayed home."

His friends stared at him.

"Harry, why didn't you tell us about this before?" Darren asked angrily.

Harry was taken aback by his friend's frustration.

"Why?" He asked.

"Someone warns you that terrible things are to happen at school, then months later, terrible things DO start happening at the school, and it didn't occur to you to tell us that someone had warned you beforehand?"

"Darren!" Ron and Hermione chided.

"To be honest, I didn't know whether to take Sammie's warning seriously."

Darren looked like he was about to pull out his hair.

"Harry, the fact that terrible things did start happening was testament enough to Sammie's warning! I can't believe you didn't tell us this! And that's not the only thing!"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Just let me get this straight. Someone came to your house, intent on stopping you from going to Hogwarts, then months later, when you get on the train, it appears that someone deliberately tried to stop you from getting on, and it didn't occur to you that it was the house elf who didn't want you to go to hogwarts who was behind it? For goodness sake, man, you were the one from last year who realised that Eago had given Hagrid the Dragon's egg so he could find out how to get pass Fluffy, why couldn't you put two and two together this year?"

"DARREN!" Ron and Hermione cried.

"That was extremely rude!" Hermione added.

Harry could not believe Darren's attitude. He had never acted towards him like this before. He reminded him of Professor Loki. Although now that he mentioned it, Sammie was the obvious culprit behind what happened at King's Cross, and perhaps he should have told them about Sammie's warning when they were trying to gather information on the Blood Traitor.

"Why does your family even have a house-elf?" Ron asked Darren, "Wasn't your granddad against their ownership?"

"Father doesn't exactly agree with Cain's views," Darren explained, "Sammie was one of the house-elves that Eago had freed, and when he was gone, well, my father felt it was only right for a man of his status to have a house-elf, so he re-enslaved him to serve my family."

"The thing I can't understand," Harry continued, "Is why a house-elf wants to protect the wizard who stopped the wizard who freed him? Isn't it more likely he's been sent by someone in your family to make things difficult for me, like your brothers?"

Darren seemed to realise something that was oblivious to Harry.

"No," He said, "You can trust him."

"Why?" Hermione asked, "I mean if he is your family's house-elf and they're all dark wizards-"

"I know my house-elf, Hermione. I think he has been trying to protect you to the best of his ability, Harry."

"Seems to have a funny way of doing it," Harry said.

"I think he's been doing the best he can. And besides Hermione, I grew up in a dark wizard family, and I turned out okay."

Hermione looked like she had accidentally insulted Darren.

"Oh Darren! I didn't mean it like that-"

"I know what you meant," Darren smiled at her, "The one thing that does concern me is that Sammie seems to know something."

Darren turned around.

"Sammie?" He asked as if he was standing near them. With a crack Sammie the house-elf had appeared.

"Master Darren?" the elf greeted, "What can I do for you?"

"Hello Sammie. These are my friends. I believe you're already familiar with Harry here?"

Sammie looked at Harry.

"I don't know what you mean, Master Darren! I've never seen him in my-"

"Sammie, do not lie. I know you've been trying to protect Harry."

Sammie clutched his teeth.

"Sorry, Master Darren."

"That's okay, Sammie," Darren told him, "However, there's something I'd like to ask you.

"It seems you knew what was going to happen long before it did. Could you tell us how?"

Sammie stared at him. Then he started shaking his head.

"I cannot say, Master," Sammie told him.

Darren looked taken aback. So was Harry. A house-elf shouldn't be able to reject the request of a member of his wizard family.

"Sammie, I order you to tell me what you know," Darren asked him, although it didn't sound like an order at all.

"I cannot say, Sir!" Sammie repeated, shaking his head more violently. Darren just stared at him.

"That's okay, Sammie. You can go now."

Sammie bowed.

"Thank you, Master."

And with a crack, he vanished.

"I don't think you asked him forcefully enough," Ron said.

"It shouldn't matter," Said Harry, "A house-elf will obey an order no matter how it is given."

"Then why didn't he tell Sammie who was behind all this?" Ron asked.

For a moment, Darren was silent.

"There is only one way a house-elf can refuse an order from a family member," He slowly said, "It's if someone higher up in the family told him explicitly not to say anything to anyone else."

He looked at his friends. His face was full of worry and shock.

"I think Father has something to do with what is happening here," He said.


	6. The Duelling Club

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything rela-**

Commentator: Well well well, look who came crawling back.

**Oh. Hi Com.**

Commentator: Hi? Hi? HI? You're gone for months, we have no updates from you, then you suddenly show up out of nowhere, and all you can say is the Japanese form for 'yes'?

**Erm, hey, how's it going?**

Commentator: Oh not so bad, except I'VE BEEN DEAD BORED THESE PAST FIVE MONTHS! Where the Hell have you been?

**Sorry Com, and everybody. My new job means I have less time for writing.**

Commentator: That's bulls**t! You've had plenty of time on the bus, when you're not taking calls, during your breaks, at home you just can't be bothered any more! No you're right, I'm sorry, you have been writing some things during all this time! (Takes a red notebook out of hammerspace) Let's take a lookie lookie in your notebookie shall we?

**-Where did you get that?**

Commentator: (Opens the notebook) Let's see you've written some stuff for a sci-fi story, fantasy story, a Pokemon and Supernatural abridged, some Marvel/DC influenced parodies, oo and look here a bit featuring me in what looks like a short! (Throws book away) Okay so you have written ONE thing about me. But NOTHING about the big showdown I'm supposed to have with Bios!

**Oh that's because I've already written the draft.**

Commentator: Then what the Hell are you waiting for?

**You do realise that the sooner I publish that short, the sooner there's a chance that your real name will be revealed, right?**

Commentator: -So yeah, don't rush yourself publishing that, take all the time you need!

**Thank you. -ted.**

* * *

About a month had passed since the death of Neil Veer. The second year Gryffindors had just come out of Transfiguration.

"Well if you ask me," Ron was saying, "It makes perfect sense. Nero Eago is Cain Eago's son, the Blood Traitor's likely Eago, and Nero is continuing his father's work. It makes perfect sense."

"No it doesn't, Ron, it doesn't!" Darren was saying, "Father never agreed with Cain's views, he only went along with him because he was afraid of him and he was very controlling. He keeps saying about how he would have been sorted in Slytherin if Cain didn't threaten to disown him if he was! Besides," He added, "Not all of us turn out like our parents, you know."

"Oi!"

Ron had seen something ahead and ran towards it. Goyle had slammed Ginny into the floor. Harry and the others, having saw this, also ran to Ginny's aid.

"LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!" Ron roared. Goyle was innocently holding up a cupcake.

"Jus' getting a cupcake from your sister," Goyle explained, "If she didn't want anyone taking it then she shouldn't have waved it around for everyone to see."

"Goyle, put that cake down," Harry told him, holding up his wand. Goyle shoved the cake into his mouth.

"You-" Ron raised up his wand.

"Uh uh uh," Goyle replied with cake in his mouth, shaking his head. He was looking at something. Loki had just happened to pick this moment to appear, and Harry knew that he did not tolerate rule breaking for any reason. Chuckling, Goyle walked off.

"Ginny, are you all right?" Ron asked as he bent down to pick her up.

"Uh, what?" Moaned Ginny, snapping open her eyes, "Where am I? What's going on?" She looked bewildered.

"That guy must have given her brain damage!" Ron said angrily, "You know, I hope the Blood Traitor kills Goyle next."

"RON!" Everyone shouted.

"Don't say stuff like that!" Said Hermione.

"Why not?" Ron snapped, "Okay, Veer was a good kid, even if he was a bit annoying, but I think we'll all be better off without Goyle."

* * *

Later that week, the school set up a duelling club. During it, the teachers brought up two students to provide a demonstration. The students chosen were Harry and (No thanks to Loki) Adam. When brought up to the platform in the centre, Adam grinned maliciously.

"Scared, Harry?" He taunted.

"You wish, Eago," Harry replied.

They were only supposed to disarm each other at the count of three. However, at two, Eago shot a spell at Harry that sent him flying across the hall. He laughed. Angry, Harry shot his own jinx. Adam dodged it. Harry shot another, and another, but Adam kept dodging them. The last one Harry shot, Adam actually spun to dodge it. Harry smiled.

"This isn't ballet, Adam!"

Adam laughed.

"Is that supposed to make me angry?" He asked, his feet still moving, "It's best to keep your feet moving, any good fighter knows that. I think you need to get your feet loose Harry."

He pointed his wand again.

"Saturni Noctem Ballare!"

Suddenly Harry's body started to move of its own accord. He was aware of his arms and legs moving awkwardly in some kind of Saturday night fever dance. The whole hall roared with laughter, but no one's laughter was as loud or as infuriating as Adam's, who, twirling his wand, reclined back as if relaxing on an invisible chair.

"Honestly Harry, you're actually quite the natural twinkle to-"

"Levicorpus!" Harry shouted, managing to wrest his arm into pointing at Adam.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Adam instantly shot up into the air upside down, his lower robe falling down, revealing boxer shorts. Everyone roared with laughter again, this time harder.

"Put me down!" Adam shouted, "PUT ME DOWN!"

"Not until you've lifted the hex on me first!" Harry called up.

Adam laughed.

"I'll only do that once you've released me!"

"Yeah, I don't trust you keeping your word!"

"And I'm supposed to trust yours?"

Harry said nothing. Eventually Adam caved in, pointed his wand at Harry and shouted "Siste!" Harry at once regained controlled of his limbs. He looked up at Adam. For a moment he was tempted to leave him hanging like that, but nonetheless he pointed his wand at him and shouted "Liberacorpus!"

Adam screamed as he came crashing down. He slowly got up. Everyone at once stopped laughing. Adam's face had a hard expression, those black eyes full of fury. It was worse than the expression he bore when Harry and Darren had humiliated him before last year when facing him and Michael on broomsticks over Neville's remembral they had taken out Michael and Adam got hit on the head with the remembral and almost dropped it.

"You know," He calmly said "'I was only mucking about before."

He eyes seem to flare, his wand gripped tightly.

"But now, I'm going to get serious."

Sparks flew from the tip of his wand. Along with his cold, bestial expression he had never looked so threatening, although Harry would never admit it. Harry raised his wand.

"Expelliar-"

"FULGARSEMPRA!"

White lightning shot out of Adam's wand and Harry found it cloud his whole vision as the force hit him. Someone screamed. Harry felt himself float through the air in the abyss before hitting something and gently falling to the ground.

When he came too, he found himself in the hospital wing, with his friends surrounding him.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, seeing that he was awake, looked ready to pounce on him. Ron and Darren turned around. They looked really pleased to see Harry awake.

"Wh-what's going on?" He asked, still feeling disoriented.

"You were-well-struck by a lightning bolt by Adam," Ron told him.

"What?" Said Harry, trying to get up.

"Ow!" He cried, falling back into the bed, "I ache all over," He croaked.

"Yeah, getting electrocuted will do that to you," Darren told him.

"But what exactly happened?" Harry asked.

"Adam used a lightning charm on you," Hermione told him, "It's really advanced magic."

"Sounds like you were impressed with what he did to Harry," Ron accused.

"No I'm not!" Hermione said hotly, "I didn't like what he did to Harry, but still, mastering elemental charms when still a second year, that's impressive!"

"It was stupid!" Darren said, "What was he thinking using that kind of magic, in front of everyone as well?"

Everyone looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"Mastering lightning magic at a young age was what Cain Eago was famous for. It's his insignia mark. Even today, he's known as the 'Lightning Wizard'!. It's said that when he first waved his wand instead of the usual sparks that come out a lightning bolt shot out of it."

For a brief moment there was silence. Hermione looked skeptical.

"Well legends tend to form around famous people. But if you're saying what I think you're saying-?"

Darren nodded.

"I am," He told her, "He's going to convince people even more that he's some kind of second Cain Eago. He might as well had confessed that he was the Blood Traitor."

* * *

A few days later, Harry felt strong enough to leave the hospital wing. As he was leaving with his friends, they saw students rushing to something.

"What's going on?" Ron asked a passing student. He turned around to face them.

"Blimey, you haven't heard, have you?" Said Seamus, "There's been another murder!"

Harry felt numb. Soon he found himself running with the others, to see who else had died, and if it was someone he knew. Peering through the growing crowd, Harry got a glimpse of the dead person.

Well, Ron got his wish.

Goyle was lying on his side, clutching his heart. His fellow Slytherin students were at the front of the crowd, staring in disbelief at Goyle's body. Pansy Parkinson looked up. Her face became a mask of horror. She was pointing at something.

"It was him!" She screamed, "He did it! He's the Blood Traitor!"

Everyone was confused. Following her finger, they saw she was pointing at Ron.

"Me?" He said disbelievingly, "Why do think it was me?"

"Oh come on! The Blood Traitor? And you and your whole family are blood traitors! It's so obvious! Not to mention that you actually said that you wanted Goyle dead!"

Ron looked stunned. How did she know what he said, Harry thought.

"You also didn't like Veer either! Annoying, that's what you called him!"

"I also said that he was an all right bloke!" Ron roared.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Professor McGonagall had come to the scene.

"Miss Parkinson, I can understand that you are upset-"

"Upset? I'm more than upset!" Pansy Shrieked.

"Miss Parkinson, I must ask you to calm down."

"NO! NO I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!"

Pansy was in hysterics.

"Miss Parkinson, if you do not calm down this instant, I will be forced to take measures."

Pansy laughed.

"You think I care? You think I care about points being taken away when Slytherins are being murdered every day? Go ahead! Put me in detention. Expell me even, anything to get me out of this school!"

The other Slytherins students had joined in. They were all shouting, demanding justice, demanding that Ron Weasley be thrown away in askaban, asking to be expelled. Harry had never seen McGonagall so overwhelmed and speechless.

* * *

By the time the Christmas break came, all the Slytherins were eager to get away from the castle. Harry agreed with them. He was glad to be home. When Dan and Gerry had greeted him like they usually do when he got home from the train, there was more panic in their behaviour. Apparently the families have been told what had been happening at the school.

"But you haven't been getting involved, have you Harry?" His mum questioned during dinner that night, "You haven't have forgotten the promise you made, have you?"

Harry gulped.

"No, of course not Mum! I haven't been chasing the Blood Traitor or anything!"

His mum glared at him.

"Hmm. Well. Good."

It felt good to get away from the castle. Harry had forgotten how relaxing it was to be home. It was a place where he could forget about all the troubles at school, about the Blood Traitor, about the deaths, even if it was just for two weeks. However, during the holiday, he was required to attend Goyle's funeral. It was not a pleasant day. He remembered Goyle's ghost trying to console his weeping mother. Soon it was time to return to school. Harry felt the time had gone too quickly. He wished he could stay home for another week. When he got back, he was surprised of how many Slytherin students had returned. He would have thought that most of them would stay away from the school, but apparently most parents did not think there was anyone murdering Slytherins. Alot of them gave Ron murderous glances as they passed by. A couple even deliberately bumped into him, and whispered loudly behind his back. Harry noticed that the aurors were no longer stationed outside the castle. He was horrified to learn from Hagrid that the Ministry called them away. Apparently the Ministry saw no need for them being there after two months of no sinister activity.

"Two Slytherins die in the space of two months, the first to die at this school in fifty years, after the Blood Traitor threatens to kill Slytherins, and they don't consider that sinister?" Harry asked credulously.

"Yeah well they don' see any proof tha' someone deliberately killed them. As far as they're concerned, Veer died because he accidentally put too much powder in his camera, and Goyle died of a heart attack."

They later bumped into Nearly Headless Nick, who expressed his displeasure at all the misery that has erupted in the school.

"Three deaths," Nick shook his head, "honestly, people will start killing themselves soon."

He looked as if he said something he shouldn't have said. It was akin to what Hagrid looked like whenever he said something he shouldn't have said.

"Nick, what do you mean by 'killing themselves'?" Darren asked.

"Nothing," Nick quickly said, "Forget what I said. It's just that with all these strange deaths that have been happening recently it's only natural that the stress of it all would drive someone to-"

"And is that what happened before?"

Nick really looked like he regretted what he said.

"Honestly, forget what I said!"

"Nick?" Darren repeated.

Nick sighed.

"Well, I don't mean to alarm you children, but, well, some time after the explosion in the dungeons, a Slytherin student was found dead. He appeared to have committed suicide. It was understandable. All the Slytherin students were terrified how anyone of them could die at any moment, Dolohov probably felt that it was better to die on his terms at his choosing rather than letting it occur at anytime in any manner."

Harry noticed that for some reason Darren was getting excited.

"And the death? Was it a hanging?"

Nick looked shocked.

"Well, yes."

Darren's eyes went wide.

"There was a FOURTH incident?"

"Well, yes, but everyone knew that the Blood Traitor had nothing to do with Dolohov's death. It's true he doesn't remember hanging himself, it seems he did it when he was sleepwalking, a subconscious desire."

"Nick, why didn't you tell us this before?" Darren demanded angrily.

Nick looked taken aback.

"Well you asked me about the Blood Traitor killings, not about any other death that year so I saw no reason to-"

Darren angrily turned on his heel and ran away. His friends ran after him.

"Darren what is going on?" Ron asked.

"Look at the previous deaths! A duel, a bodily ailment, an explosion, and finally a hanging!"

"So?" Harry asked.

"Now look at the current deaths! A hanging, an explosion, a bodily ailment, _the Blood Traitor is doing the causes of deaths backwards!_"

Silence hung over the friends, unaware that they were still running.

"Wait a minute, if you're saying what I'm thinking-" Hermione said slowly.

"I am. The next death is doing to be a duel!"

Darren found professor McGonagall, and told her about his theory. Although she seemed slightly sceptical, he convinced her to tell Dumbledore. The next day, it was announced that wands would be confiscated, prefects included, and would only be given back during lessons.

"I don't see why our wands had to be confiscated too," Ron moaned, "It's the Slytherins who're at risk, not everyone else!"

"Dumbledore probably felt it seemed fairer that all students didn't have their wands," Darren reasoned. He appeared to be miserable. It was understandable. Word had gotten out that Darren had spoken to McGonagall, and this was the reason why everyone lost their wands. Soon, Darren was one of the most hated people at school. Again.

"Cheer up Darren," Harry said, "So we've lost our wands except during lesson time? At least this means no one will be killed in a duel!"

"Yes, and that's what bothers me."

"What do you mean?"

Darren looked up.

"I think I made a mistake in telling McGongall."

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at Darren.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"Well, at least before we knew what kind of incident was coming next. Now with all the wands confiscated, well, there was some comfort knowing what to expect, and how to prepare for it. The Blood Traitor won't mind ruining his pattern just because he can't do a duel. Now it can be anything."


	7. The Diary

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything related.**

* * *

27th December, 2012:

Commentator: Welcome back my muggle and wizarding wannabe friends to our further installment of 'Harry Potter And The Blood Traitor'! Huh. Not entirely sure as to why Anonymius has me introducing this, considering that I don't really do the serious stuff. I mean there is one review but it's already been answered by Anonymius so I'm not entirely sure why I'm here. Unless of course it's because -

Door: KNOCK KNOCK

Commentator: Now who could that be?

(Goes to open the door)

Hen: Bonjour, monseuir.

2nd Hen: Bonjour!

3rd Hen: Bonjour!

Commentator: Ah! Bonjour madmoiseille poule!

Hen: Nous sommes juste ici a desirer te un chanceux Noel!

Commentator: Haw haw haw haw! Et un tres chanceux Noel a te tu!

Sammy: What do Ettins have to do with this?

(The Commentator kicks Sammy away with the back of his foot)

Three Hens: Aurevoir, Monseur Cane!

Commentator: Aurevoir, mon cher francais poule!

(Closes the door)

Professor: Sir. I didn't know you were fluent in Faux Francais!

Commentator: Neither did I, Prof. Neither did I. And without further ado, here's 'The Diary'!

* * *

While passing Moaning Myrtle's Toilet, the group heard moaning. Well, louder moaning than usual. They discovered that a book had been thrown in Myrtle's toilet, and it just happened to go through Myrtle's head. It was an old diary, belonging to an Abel Trustend. Harry, Hermione and Darren noted how it was written at the time of the Blood Traitor murders, but to their disappointment, there was nothing written in it. Harry felt strangely drawn to the book, and one night wrote in it. To his surprise, the book wrote back. Harry told him about the re-emergence of the Blood Traitor killings. "Abel" told him how the teachers told them it wasn't true, but he had discovered the one behind the killings. Ashamed that such a thing had happened at the school, the Headmaster at the time covered it up. Harry asked Abel if he could tell him who the Blood Traitor was.

No, said Abel.

But he could show him.

Harry found himself in an office. He realised it must be the Headmaster's office.

"Enter."

There walked in a second year. When Harry got a better look at him, he realised that it was actually a sixth year (It was perhaps his prefect badge that gave him away).

"Ah, Abel, please sit down."

Harry clasped his head. A loud, horrible buzzing sound had suddenly come out of nowhere, although he couldn't see the source. He continued to watch the two figures. Abel Trustend was short for his age, had a thin face and amber eyes, and blond hair thar was deliberately stuck upwards. He had strolled in the headmaster's office like he was a private, with his hands behind his back.

"Now then, I received your letter that you wish to remain at school for the holidays. Is that correct?"

"Yes Sir," Abel nodded, "Is that a problem?"

The Headmaster looked at him as if he was mad.

"My dear boy surely you must understand that as of now it would not be good for you to stay at school, what with all the deaths that have occurred this year!"

Abel raised an eyebrow.

"Sir, you surely don't believe that anyone was behind those tragedies, do you?"

"Of course not! But still, well - it's hard to deny that there's been an awful lot of bad luck this year. Anyway, wouldn't you want to spend time at home?"

Abel looked uncomfortable.

"Things at home haven't been right for years, Sir."

The Headmaster had an understanding look.

"Ah, I see. I believe you live with your godfather, who is a squib. Correct?"

Abel nodded.

"Well then, it's understandable. Him having no magic while you do."

Abel's eyes flashed. Harry had never seen such hatred in somebody's eyes before.

"It has nothing to do with the fact of our magical talent," He said as calmly as he could, although Harry sensed the rage bubbling beneath those words, "During my first year of Hogwarts he was attacked by a group of thugs down at the village. I wanted to know who attacked him, he refused to give names."

"That's understandable. Courts rarely make decisions in favour of squibs."

"Yes, I know."

Harry saw his fist tighten over his wand. He swore that he reddened fist was tightened so much that it would crush his wand.

"Anyway, there may not even be a Hogwarts this summer."

Abel looked alarmed.

"What are do you mean, Sir?" He asked.

The Headmaster had the same guilty look Harry had seen on Hagrid and his dad when they accidentally let slip something they felt they should not have said.

"Well you're bound to find out anyway. There is talk from the board about closing the school down."

Abel looked shocked.

"WHAT? Why? There was no one behind those deaths! It was just bad luck!"

"Even so the board feels that with all the tragedy that has happened to Hogwarts that perhaps it's best to close it down, especially with the suicide of poor Dolohov."

Abel looked like he was panicking.

"Sir, if there was proof of a killer, if he was found, if there was proof that those weren't accidental deaths, would the board change their mind about closing the school?"

The Headmaster laughed.

"And perhaps the Chuddley Cannons will win this year!"

He sighed.

"If only there was a Blood Traitor. That would make things so much easier. No Abel (Harry clutched his head again), there is no point in putting faith in such farfetched ideas."

Abel stood up.

"Very well Sir. Good night."

"Night."

Abel walked out of the office. Harry followed him through the corridors and into Gryffindor tower, and eventually at Harry's own dormitory. Abel walked in. Inside were four boys of Abel's age still up. Two of the boys had red hair (Although one was bigger than the other and he had a beard as well, his hair wavy and having more of a flaming colour). Both were smoking cigarettes. A third boy was -

No.

It couldn't be.

It just couldn't be!

But there was no mistaking it! That round face, those amber eyes, that spiky blond hair that stuck up in all directions! Harry was looking face to face with a sixteen year old Lucas Cessi.

Everyone who knows and loves Quidditch would have heard of Lucas Cessi, whether you loved or hated him. Born and raised in Godric's Hollow, Cessi joined Puddlemere United at the age of twenty-one, and soon proved himself to be the world's greatest seeker. It's said that he was able to catch the Snitch instantly when the game began, and for ten years he played Puddlemere was undefeated, not to mention that England won the Quidditch World Cup twice in a row. Handsome Lucas Cessi was perhaps, and still is, the most popular Quidditch player ever to live (despite allegations of infidelity).

Sadly though, his career was cut short at the beginning of the war, when his clash with Eago led to a loss of an arm and a leg, permanently ending his Quidditch career. Despite no longer being able to play Quidditch or fight, however, Cessi became a journalist for the Daily Prophet, and was well known for his commitment to the truth. By the end of the war, a disagreement with the editor led to his departure of the Prophet, and he wrote for the Quibbler. The fact that it was a paper notorious for its absurd stories by no means ruined his reputation. If anything, it increased the Quibbler's sales, people knowing that the great Quidditch player was writing for the Quibbler, and somewhat damaged the Prophet's reputation. Well, more so than usual. Harry felt himself to be unworthy to be in Cessi's presence, and refused to look straight at him.

"You're still up," Abel pointed out, "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I couldn't sleep," Cessi answered , "Where were you?"

"I had to see the Headmaster about something,"

He noticed the two red-haired boys.

"What's that you're doing?" he asked.

"Smoking," The wavy red-haired boy answered.

"- I'm sorry?" Abel asked.

"Smoking," He repeated, "a cigarette. Muggles smoke them. You interested?"

He took the stick out of his mouth, and blew out smoke.

"Try one," He said. Showing a pack, the boy used his wand to levitate one of the cigarettes, light it, and make it float in Abel's direction. Abel grabbed it.

"Stick it in your mouth and breathe."

Abel did so. He suddenly started coughing violently. The two red-haired boys laughed.

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to!"

"I think I'll pass," Abel weakly said, tossing the cigarette back, "Why would you even -? Never mind. I don't need to ask why you the two of you would use that's clearly bad for your health! I've noticed that Luc hasn't joined the fun?"

"Nah, I turned them down," Cessi answered, "I didn't have a good feeling about them."

"Oh come on Luc! Stop being such a wimp and try one! What, you can brave a collapsing tower but you're afraid of a little stick that makes you cough the first couple of times? It's not gonna kill you or anything!" The wavy haired boy said.

Abel pointed at Cessi.

"He's usually right about these sort of things, so I'll go with him."

The red-haired boy reclined on the bed.

"Fine! Be a couple of wimps! I'm surprised you never heard of them, Flash. What, Muggle Studies don't cover cigarettes?"

"I guess they skipped over the death sticks."

Abel got ready for bed.

"So how come you saw the Headmaster?" Cessi asked.

Abel got into bed.

"Oh, I wanted to ask Dippet if I could stay over the summer."

Cessi looked surprised.

"Why? I didn't think things were that bad with your godfather?"

Abel looked uncomfortable.

"Well they're not as good as they used to be."

"So what did he say?" The other red-haired boy asked.

"He said no can do. It's worse than that. There's talk about closing the school."

"WHAT?"

Everyone seemed alarmed at this news.

"Why?" The wavy-haired boy asked.

"Apparently given the recent deaths Hogwarts is no longer a safe place."

"But that's rubbish!" the boy said hotly, "It's Slytherins the Blood Traitor's after! Why are they making it difficult for all of us?"

"Aidan, Dippet doesn't even believe there's a Blood Traitor," Cessi reasoned, "And neither does it seem the board."

"This isn't fair! Just because the Blood Traitor's doing us all a favour and getting rid of the Slytherins!"

"Aidan!" Cessi chided.

"What?" The boy named Aidan shouted, "He is and you know it! Okay, Dan, Apollyon, Ivy, Billy and Aphrodite are all right, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to them, but I bet we'll a lot better without the rest of them! Oh it's all right for some of you! At least you and Damon's got parents who can do magic! My parents are muggles! Oh, Sorry Flash," Dash apologised after seeing Abel flinch, "I forgot you don't like that word. Why is that again?"

"Do you know where the term 'muggle' comes from?" Abel asked him, "It comes from a fifteenth century word 'mug' meaning 'fool'. That is how the Wizarding World views people like your parents, or your mum (He said towards the other red-haired boy named Damon) or even your grandmother Luc, as foolish, idiotic, people who deserve to be kicked around like they don't have feelings!"

He fist clenched again like it did in Dippet's office.

"Yeah, but does 'mortal' sound any better?" Cessi laughed.

"Better than 'muggle'," Abel answered.

"I think some people would disagree with you."

The scene changed. Harry now found himself outside in the sunshine. Abel was strolling towards a large group of laughing students sitting on a hill, being followed by an assortment of teachers. Harry noticed that Lucas Cessi, Aidan and Damon were among them. Judging from their faces, Harry saw that the group were all in the same year, but there was no way they were from the same house.

"So what do you guys want to do after Hogwarts?" Cessi asked the group, "Tara?" He addressed a huge prefect whom, were it not for her chest, Harry would have mistaken for a bloke.

"I want to go into law enforcement," She answered, "I want to be an Auror. But I am not sure if my grades are good enough. I want to help catch criminals."

"No surprises there," Aidan scoffed. Everyone ignored him.

"I always figured that you wanted to be Minister of Magic," Said a male prefect.

"I have thought about it. But I think I prefer to be out there rather than behind a desk."

"Just as well," The prefect smiled, "Because I have aspirations for that desk and I wouldn't want the competition."

"Well you're probably going to get it Hermes," An obese, below average height prefect responded, "Because I also have my eye on that chair."

"So Aidan, what do you want to do?" Cessi asked.

"I'm not so sure. I think I'd like to be an auror. You know, get into some action!"

Damon laughed.

"You probably wouldn't last a day without jinxing your supervisor just because you didn't like the way he spoke to you!"

Most of the group laughed. It seemed that Aidan's rebellious nature was a bottom joke for most of the group.

"Hey shut up!" He shouted, "Or I'll hex the lot of ya!"

By that point the group stopped laughing. Aidan turned around to see that Abel and the teachers had joined them.

"What? What do you want?" Aidan asked vehemently. The teachers didn't say anything.

"All right, I was joking about hexing them, all right?"

None of them still said anything. Abel looked furious.

"What? Why are you glaring at me for?"

"SHUT UP, AIDAN!" Abel roared.

His voice thundered across the pitch, his eyes flashing with rage, that same terrifying rage Harry saw in Dippet's office. He reminded him of Darren when he got angry with Adam and Michael for getting Neville into trouble. A few of them even looked as pale and scared of Abel as were the Slytherins of Darren (One savage looking sixth year, who had looked as if he didn't care for his looks, even squeaked and hid behind a green haired girl). He was even amazed at how many of them didn't look that affected by Abel's outburst. Perhaps they were used to his sort of temper. Aidan especially did not appear humbled.

"Look, will you just tell me what's the matter instead of just shouting at me?" He demanded.

Abel's hands shook.

"How could you, Aidan?" He asked, "How could you do it? I knew that you were by no means the ideal student. You always messed up in class, you vandalised school property, you hexed those who annoyed you or who crossed your path. And as your friend, I admit that I have been a bit lenient towards you. BUT NOT EVEN I EVER THOUGHT YOU WERE CAPABLE OF MURDER!"

Aidan looked puzzled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You'd better confessed to what you have done. Things might go easy for you if you do."

"I'm not confessing to anything I don't know what I've done!"

Abel took out of his pockets several items.

"Here," He said, "Are notes, each addressed to Lestrange and Avery, telling each other to meet in the corridor that leads to Divination, the same corridor that they died in! Strange to have them among your possessions, wouldn't you agree?"

Aidan looked betrayed.

"You looked through my -?"

"And here, is a bottle of some sort of potion! You probably thought that you had used it up, that no one knew what potion it was! Unfortunately for you, there were still traces of the poison inside!"

"I tested it," Said a portly teacher, "It's some sort of poison that imitates the symptoms of Dragon Pox. Gradually, if left unchecked, it would lead to death. Just like poor Nott, wouldn't you agree?"

Aidan looked shocked.

"What are you -?"

"And here is a piece of dragon's spleen. Funny thing about dragon's spleen. If it isn't handled with care, when it makes contact with boiling water and depending on whatever's already in the cauldron it will cause an explosion. Just like the one that killed Rosier and Mulciber. Why would you have a piece of this with you, I wonder?"

"Flash, you can't be saying -"

"And here, is a piece of rope, that matches the one that Dolohov apparently hanged himself with. What were these Aidan? Trophies of your exploits?

"Those weren't accidents, were they Aidan? Or students dabbling in dark magic, or natural illnesses or even suicide! You just made them look like that so no one would know that there was a killer on the loose! You're the one responsible for all those deaths this year, you're the one everyone's been calling the Mudblood, the Gryffindor, THE BLOOD TRAITOR!"

Aidan looked speechless.

"Flash, you can't seriously believe that I killed all those people -?"

"Why not? You said it yourself, that the Blood Traitor was doing us all a favour by getting rid of the Slytherins, didn't you?"

"Flash, if I really was going to kill them, I would have done it first thing in the morning at breakfast and caused the whole table to explode!"

"You're not really helping yourself, you know," The Headmaster replied.

"I'm not the Blood Traitor!"

Aidan laughed.

"None of you believe this, do you?"

He turned around the face his friends. They were speechless, staring at him.

"Do you?"

None of them said anything.

"Sarah, Cassie, Ivy, Dan, Tony, please tell me you don't believe this! Herm -"

He grabbed the prefects wrists, "Please tell me you don't believe this, you know me, I couldn't have done it! Luc, Luc you know I'm not responsible, you of all people -"

"Silence!" The Headmaster shouted.

"Professor, this has to be some mistake," Cessi said, "Aidan couldn't have -"

"Your loyalty to your friend is admirable Lucas, but misplaced. The evidence is clear."

Cessi was lost for words.

"You'll be taken to Azkaban, and tried for your actions."

Aidan looked outraged.

"NEVER!"

BANG.

An explosion went off. Everyone saw a tiger fleeing the scene.

"Stop him!" The Headmaster screamed.

Abel turned into a hawk, and flew after Aidan.

"Stop that murderer!"

Harry felt himself be pulled away from the scene, away from the suspect being apprehended for the heinous crimes. He found himself back in the dormitory. Ron and Darren walked in.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Darren asked.

Harry turned to face them.

"I know who the Blood Traitor is," He said.


End file.
